THE GAME OF CHESS
Chess is a game of skill for two players. It is played on a square board divided into sixty four squares arranged in an eight-by-eight matrix, or in eight rows of eight squares each. The rows of squares are called ranks. Columns of squares are called files. The squares are alternately light and dark colors, commonly red and black. Each row has four light and four dark squares, with a light square at one end and a dark square at the other end.
Each chess player has sixteen movable pieces, namely, a king, a queen, two bishops two knights, two rooks or castles, and eight pawns. The movable chess pieces are typically white (or light) and black (or dark), corresponding to the light and dark squares on the board, and are arranged on the two horizontal rows of light and dark squares closest to each player.
Each player places the queen of that player's chosen or assigned color on the square of her own color nearest the center of the row closest to the player. The king is placed next to the queen on the other square nearest the center of the same row. The two bishops are placed on the same row and on the squares next to the king and the queen. The two knights are placed on the same row on the squares next to the bishops and the two rooks are placed at the ends of the same row, beside the knights. The eight pawns are placed on the eight squares of the next row.
According to the rules of chess:
(1) The king moves one square in any direction and can capture any opponent's piece, except the king, by moving into the square occupied by the other piece, except the king cannot move into a square where the king would be vulnerable to capture by an opponent's piece. PA1 (2) The queen moves in a straight line on the rank, the file, or diagonally in any direction and for any distance over unoccupied squares. The queen cannot jump over pieces. The queen captures an opponent's piece, except the king, by moving into the square occupied by that piece. PA1 (3) The bishops move diagonally over unoccupied squares for any distance. Thus, one bishop of each player may only move on dark squares and the other bishop may only move on light squares. Bishops capture an opponent's piece, except the king, by moving into a square occupied by that piece. PA1 (4) The knights move in an L-shaped pattern, two squares in a straight line along a row or file and then one square at a right angle. A knights' move must end on a square the opposite color from the one on which it started. The knight is the only piece that may "jump" other pieces, but the piece over which a knight jumps is not affected by the jump. The knight captures an opponent's piece, except the king, by ending its move on the square occupied by that piece. PA1 (5) The rooks move in a straight line for any distance. The rooks cannot jump or move diagonally. The rooks capture an opponent's piece, except the king, by moving into a square occupied by that piece. PA1 (6) The pawns move one square forward (toward the opponent), except the initial move of each pawn may be either one square or two squares forward. A pawn must move diagonally forward one square to capture an opponent's piece, except the king, occupying that square. The pawn cannot move diagonally except to capture an opponent's piece, If a pawn advances to the eighth rank (the rank at the opposite side of the board), the pawn may be exchanged for a queen, rook, bishop or knight of the same color without regard to the number and type of pieces then on the board. PA1 (7) Each chess player can perform a move called a "castle" once in the game, except when the king is in check, or if there are other pieces between the king and rook, or if the king or rook have been previously moved, or if the king or rook must pass over or land on a square occupied by an opponent's piece. "Castling" transposes a player's king and one rook. The king is moved two squares to its right or left on one row toward one rook and that one rook is moved over the king and placed on the square beside the king in the same row. PA1 (a) a miniature foot soldier, representing infantry (six pieces), PA1 (b) a miniature horse and rider, representing cavalry (two pieces), and PA1 (c) a miniature cannon, representing artillery (two pieces). PA1 (a) an airplane carrier (one piece), PA1 (b) a transport vessel (one piece), PA1 (c) a battleships (one piece), PA1 (d) a destroyer (one piece), PA1 (e) a submarine (one piece), PA1 (f) an airplane (two pieces), PA1 (g) a torpedo (four pieces), and PA1 (h) a shell (five pieces). PA1 (a) infantrymen (eight pieces) PA1 (b) anti-aircraft guns (two pieces) PA1 (c) light tanks (two pieces) PA1 (d) heavy tanks (two pieces) PA1 (e) airplanes (two pieces) PA1 (f) heavy artillery (two pieces)
A king is "checked" when he is vulnerable to capture by an opponent's piece. The player "checking" an opponent's king must say "check". To avoid "checkmate", and the end of the game, a king in "check" must either move out of check, capture the attacking piece, or the defending player must move another piece between the king in "check" and the attacking piece. If none of those things can be done, then the king is "checkmated" and the game is over.